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The geographic isolation of Chile's wine regions bounded by the Atacama Desert, the Pacific Ocean, the Andes Mountains, and Patagonia form a barrier against pests and disease. Chile is one of the very few places on Earth that is free of phylloxera, the insect that attacks vines and that destroyed vineyards around the world in the mid-19th century. Chile's vineyards are therefore planted with pure, ungrafted vines, unlike the rest of the world, which requires that vines be grafted to phylloxera-resistant rootstocks. The country's four clearly marked seasons present little risk of spring frosts. The pattern of rainfall is ideal, with little precipitation in the spring and almost none during the summer and early fall, thus assuring optimal conditions of vine health and grape maturity with minimal use of pesticides. Most wine regions enjoy significant variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Daytime highs of up to 30º-33ºC encourage the production of sugar, colour, aromas, and fully ripe tannins, while nighttime lows (13-15ºC) reduce the degradation of those components and acids. The final result is the production of grapes with greater concentration. |
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